Reminder: Saturday Collection of Some Households Located West of Connecticut Avenue

As a result of Wednesday’s snow storm, the recycling at some households located west of Connecticut Avenue was not collected.  This includes portions of Grafton Street and streets south of Grafton.
 
All households that were not collected on Wednesday will be collected on Saturday, March 24.  Collection crews will begin no earlier than 9:00 a.m.  Please ensure that your recycling containers are accessible including ensuring that there is an unobstructed path to access your containers.

Budget and Tax Matters:
Public Comments Welcomed on the Draft FY 2019 Budget

The Chevy Chase Village Board of Managers held a budget work session on February 28 to review the proposed operating and capital budgets for the fiscal year that will begin on July 1, 2018 and end on June 30, 2019, as prepared by the Village Manager and staff. The Board held the first of two  public hearings on the draft budget and tax rate during its regular meeting on Monday, March 12. 

A report from Board Treasurer Mr. Gary Crockett along with a summary of the proposed budget will be included in the April issue of the Crier in advance of the Board’s second Public Hearing scheduled for Monday, April 9. Adoption of the FY2019 budget and tax rates will take place during the Village’s Annual Meeting on Monday, April 16. 

Copies of the budget summary and details are available on the Village website and hard copies can be obtained at the Village office. Residents can submit written comments in advance (c/o the Village office) of the final Public Hearing on April 9.

Chevy Chase Village Annual Meeting

Monday, April 16 at 7:30 p.m. 
Refreshments available beginning at 7:00 p.m. 

The Annual Meeting is an excellent opportunity to get caught-up on issues affecting the Village. Residents who have moved into the Village during the past year are especially encouraged to attend to see their Village government in action, and to meet Village Committee/Commission members and elected officials. 

Committee/Commission Chairs and representatives will provide reports of their Committee/Commission’s activities over the past year. Also at the Annual Meeting, the Board will adopt the operating budget for FY 2019 (July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2019) and will set the real estate and personal property tax rates for the same period. Candidates for the Board of Managers will be announced by the Election Supervisors.

All residents are invited to join the Board in recapping the past year’s events and accomplishments and to discuss the Village’s goals in the upcoming year.

Board of Managers Election

Three Board seats will be up for election this spring.  The current Board members whose terms are expiring in June are Michael Denger, Robert Goodwin and Elissa Leonard. Mr.Goodwin and Ms. Leonard are considering running again. Mr. Denger has decided not to run for re-eleection.
 
Any Village resident may run for a seat on the Board provided he/she is a qualified voter in Montgomery County, has resided in Chevy Chase Village for at least one year prior to the election and files the required Certificate of Candidacy and Financial Disclosure Statement in proper form. Board members serve two-year, staggered terms.  If the number of qualified candidates equals the number of available seats, the candidates will be declared elected at the Annual Meeting on Monday, April 16, 2018 (the meeting begins at 7:30 p.m.).  If the number of candidates exceeds the number of available seats, a contested election will be held on Saturday, May 5, 2018.
 
The Village Election Supervisors oversee Village elections, including receiving nominations to serve on the Board of Managers.  Residents interested in running for a seat should please contact Election Supervisors Chair Charlotte Jones-Carroll by email at cjonescarroll@aol.com so that the Elections Supervisors can begin to plan for the election.    

To qualify as a candidate, an individual, including sitting Board members, must submit to the Village office a completed Certificate of Candidacy along with a Financial Disclosure Statement, at any time after February 5 (90 days prior to Election Day), but by no later than April 5 (30 days prior to Election Day). Upon receiving both completed forms, the Village Manager will submit the Financial Disclosure Statement to the Village Ethics Commission, which will review the form within ten days of filing for compliance with the provisions of the Public Ethics Code.  Please note, however, that candidates are not certified to appear on the ballot until the Certificate of Candidacy and Financial Disclosure Statement have been reviewed and determined to be filed in proper form. Forms are available in the Village office or by email request to the Village Manager Shana Davis-Cook at shana.davis-cook@montgomerycountymd.gov.

For more information regarding Board elections, please visit the dedicated page on the Village’s website by clicking on “Board of Managers Elections” under Quick Links on the homepage. 

Board of Managers:
Financial Disclosure Q & A

 
In 2012, the State’s financial disclosure requirements for elected officials were extended to include municipalities like the Village.  If you are considering serving on the Board, you may have questions about those requirements.  I’ll try to anticipate and answer some of them here, and we also encourage you to contact any Board member or the Village Manager for any additional questions or discussion.  You can find the disclosure form on the Village web site by selecting Government / Board of Managers / Board of Managers Elections / Candidate Financial Disclosure Form.
 
What do I have to disclose?  The disclosures are annual and are due in April.  All of the following disclosures are for the previous calendar year, like your tax return.  You need to disclose the following:

• Some details about any property you own, including your home.
• Ownership or interests in corporations or partnerships.  This includes holdings of stock in public corporations.
• Purchases or sales of stock or other interests in corporations or partnerships.
• Sources of earned income
• Any involvement (ownership, employment, gifts, debt) with the Village or any entity doing business with the Village, for yourself or your immediate family.

 
How public is this information?  It’s public but not published.  Anyone may request a copy of your disclosure forms, but you may choose to be informed of any such requests.  Your home address will be redacted when the disclosure form is provided.
 
Am I revealing my net worth to the world?  No.  Some forms of wealth and income (see next question) are not reported.  For ownership and transactions you do have to report, you can use ranges for percentage of ownership (less than 1%, 1-5%, 6-10% or over 10%) or number of shares (0-100, 101-250, 251-500, over 500).
 
What about CDs, mutual funds, and exchange-traded funds?  You are not required to report bank interest or certificates of deposit, publicly traded mutual funds, or exchange-traded funds.
 
How hard is this?  The annual report is due at roughly the same time as your income taxes, and the information you’ve gathered for your taxes covers almost all of what you need for the financial disclosure.  Some Board members have their accountants complete the disclosure documents, and some fill them out themselves.  If your finances aren’t too complicated it should only take an hour or two per year.

Lake, What Lake? The History and the Mystery of
Chevy Chase Lake

History-Go-Round Tour 
Saturday, April 14, 2018 at 1:00 p.m.

Come visit the Chevy Chase Historical Society’s new home, and learn about the history of Chevy Chase Lake, at our History-Go-Round tour on Saturday, April 14, led by Gail Sansbury, former Director of the CCHS Archive and Research Center.

In 1892, Coquelin Run, the small tributary that flows to Rock Creek, was dammed to create a lake to generate electricity for the trolley line on Connecticut Avenue that carried residents of the new suburb to their jobs in downtown Washington.  The lake was east of Connecticut, just south of Chevy Chase Lake Drive. A trolley turnaround, car barn, and electric generating plant were located adjacent to the lake. With the eventual demise of the trolley, the dam was removed and the lake was drained. 
 
But the lake was much more than a trolley hub.  For on its banks was the Chevy Chase Lake Amusement Park, owned by the Chevy Chase Land Company from 1894 to 1936. The park was intended to draw prospective land and home buyers to the company’s new suburban development. With picnic areas, boating, a bandstand, dancing pavilions, a merry-go-round, and other amusements, it was open from late spring through early fall.  During winters, skaters glided over the lake’s frozen surface.  Like nearby Glen Echo Park, this amusement park was restricted—only white patrons were allowed.
Participants will explore all this and more with Sansbury, who is known to many residents for her expertise on Chevy Chase history and is a frequent speaker on the topic.  Sansbury holds a B.A. and M.A. in American History, and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Urban Planning.

The tour will begin at 1:00 and conclude by approximately 2:30.  Participants will gather in CCHS’ new office at 8401 Connecticut Ave., where Sansbury will present an illustrated introduction to the history of the lake and surrounding area.  She will then lead the group on a walking tour, pointing out the contours in the land where the lake once stood, and passing other points of reference.  Historic photos of the lake and environs from the CCHS archive will be shared to illustrate the “then and now” of these locations.  After the walking tour, the group will then return to the 8401building for refreshments and continued discussion as desired.  

The price for the tour and refreshments is $15 for adults and $5 for children.  Space is limited and reservations must be paid for by check in advance.  Directions to the meeting point will be provided to all registrants. To make a reservation or for further information, please email Mary Sheehan at msheehan246@aol.com.

Community “Azalea Trimming” on the Circle: April 28th

Friends of Chevy Chase Circle is inviting one and all to step up and join the “Help Trim the Azaleas” event to be held on Chevy Chase Circle, Saturday April 28, between 9-12 noon. A National Park Service property supported through a private-public partnership, it is through neighborhood efforts such as this that this gateway to the Capital and a local landmark can look its best. Grab a hand shears and a friend and come join your neighbors and a local scout troop get the job done.

For any questions, please email: info@friendsofCCC.org

Celebrate!!! 
Chevy Chase Village to be Designated 
A Tree City USA

All are invited to attend an Arbor Day celebration on Saturday, April 21, 2018 from 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. in the small "triangle" park at the intersection of Cedar Parkway and Oliver Street.

As part of Arbor Day celebrations across the country, the Village will be planting a tree and installing permanent labels for existing trees in that park. Refreshments will be offered and printed materials about tree care and tree identification will be available. An age-appropriate activity for young children is being planned.
 
The Village is seeking designation from the Arbor Day Foundation as a Tree City, USA. We hope this event will be the first of many identifying and celebrating Village trees.

Tax Return Reminder (MD Form 502)

Revenues received through our residents’ paid income taxes remain the most significant source of Village revenues. We need our residents’ help to ensure that all income tax revenue due to the Village actually gets here. This money goes directly to services benefiting Village residents.  Village residents DO NOT pay any additional income taxes to live in Chevy Chase Village. By law, as a municipality, the Village receives a portion of the tax you pay to Montgomery County. It is very important, however, that the State of Maryland knows to return this revenue to the Village. Consequently, please take special care to mark your tax return as shown below (if filing electronically, there is a character limit, therefore, you may have to use the abbreviation 
“Ch Ch Village”). 

Please remember that MD Form 502 was updated last year with a separate political subdivision section located under your mailing address.  When you complete your Maryland income tax return, remember to put Chevy Chase Village under “Maryland Political Subdivision” and include 1613 the “4 digit Political Subdivision Code” to ensure the Village receives our share of the state income tax (see below).   

Click on the image below to see the full form

RSVP/AARP Tax-Aide Program Offers
Free Tax Preparation 

 
The Montgomery County Volunteer Center's RSVP/AARP Tax-Aide Program is providing free tax preparation assistance. This service is available to low-to-moderate income taxpayers who live or work in Montgomery County.
Special attention is given to those age 60 and older.
 
The Tax-Aide program has more than 100 volunteers who are trained to prepare simple federal and Maryland state tax forms. Taxes are prepared at more than 20 different locations across Montgomery County, and an appointment is required. The program runs during tax season, to guarantee availability, please make your appointment by March 1.
 
Individuals can learn more specifics and schedule an appointment on-line at http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/volunteercenter/tax-aide/ or
call 240-777-2577.

Are You Prepared?

As we saw last season during the record Blizzard of 2016 and as gear up for the upcoming winter season, the Village reminds residents that it is important to be prepared. In order the assist residents in their preparedness, the Village in partnership with the Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (OEMHS) offer a number of helpful tools, plans and free alerts to assist and keep you informed.

Village Website and Blast Email System – Have you signed up for the Village’s blast email system? This is primary electronic method of communication with you. The Village has 2 email lists you can sign-up for:

Urgent News Alert – include messages such as criminal activity, neighborhood disruptions such as water main breaks, power outages and road closures and major weather events.

General News Alerts – include messages about Board and committee meetings, community events, changes in public services such as refuse/recycling collection schedules and upcoming road closures.

To sign-up for the blast email system visit the Village website at www.chevychasevillagemd.gov and click on the tablet icon at the top of the Village’s homepage.
 

Alert Montgomery – Alert Montgomery is the office emergency communications service for Montgomery County, MD. During major crisis, emergency or severe weather events, Montgomery County officials will send event updates, warnings and instructions directly to you on any of your devices. To sign-up for Alert Montgomery please visit the OEMHS website www.montgomerycountymd.gov/oemhs and click on the “Alert Montgomery” link at the top of the page.

Family and Community Preparedness Information – Emergencies can take many form and occur with or without warning. By taking a few simple steps now, you can ensure that you, your family and your community are better prepared to handle emergencies. To assist in your family planning please visit the Village’s emergency preparedness page, www.chevychasevillagemd.gov/emergencyprep for helpful tools and links. Another important tool the Village has to assist you in your preparedness efforts is to always request a House Check when you are out town and ensure that your emergency contacts are up to date with the Village office.

For additional information please visit the Village’s website at www.chevychasevillagemd.gov and click on the “Are you prepared? – Emergency Preparedness Tips” link listed in the Quick Links on the homepage.

Emergency Contact Sheet

EMERGENCY - 911
 
Chevy Chase Village Police 
Non Emergency/24hrs - 301-654-7300

Montgomery County Police 
Non Emergency/24hrs - 301-279-8000

Bethesda - Chevy Chase Rescue Squad - 301-652-0077

Chevy Chase Fire Dept
(Opposite Columbia Country Club) - 240-773-4707

Bethesda Fire Dept
(Wisconsin Ave and Bradley Blvd) - 240-773-4706

National Capital Poison Center
(George Washington University Hospital) - 800-222-1222

Utilities
 

Potomac Electric Power Company (PEPCO)

Emergency-Live wires down, power failure - 877-737-2662

Customer Service - 202-833-7500

Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission

Emergency - 301-206-4002

Complaints, Leaks, Information - 301-206-4001

Washington Gas

Emergency - 703-750-1400

Information & Customer Service - 703-750-1000

Comcast - 800-934-6489

Verizon - 800-837-4966

**A cut out sheet is also located on page two of the January 2017 Crier.

You are receiving this email because you are subscribed to receive general news updates from Chevy Chase Village. Did you know the Village sends out urgent news updates as well, click here to sign-up.